[Cabbage Patch]

Hi

I acquired a plot of wasteland in the summer and have spent months preparing the ground, digging and removing bricks etc.

I have built 9 raised beds and have just filled with 10 ton of grade A top soil.  Apart from winter onions, leeks and garlic, I wont be planting or sowing anything else until next year.

Is there anything else I need to do to prepare the ground for next year. I would rather do it now that wait and nothing grows as it should.

I would be very grateful for any advise.
Many thanks.
Cabbage Patch. 

[prakash_mib]

you should be welloff to buy 10 ton top soil. 
I seriously dont know what grade A means. But if it is raised bed and you are not going to do anything untill spring then I would dish out some cash to buy black polythene to cover it. This will protect it from draining the nutrients from the raised bed. and leaving it like that untill very late (planting time) will heat up the soil to give immediate boost to the plants spuds, broadbeans, brassicas etc... which will go bit early than the other crops.
wait for more advice.
 

P.S. Any pics of your plot pls. that should be one good one to see.

[fatcat1955]

If by grade A they mean it is steralised as well, you may want to cover it with rotted manure then weed fabric. Over the winter the worms will pull the manure down into the soil for you. In spring give it a light forking and away you go.

[potatogrower]

yes plenty of manure. If you used 10 tonnes of top soil then you might need quite a bit of manure. you'll nice fertile sandy soil to grow great spuds  or any other root veggies.

[Aidy]

+1 for covering with cack. I am always a weeee bit suspect about covering as Mr Slimey Slug may get a weeeee bit comfy and start to make a nest, then lots of weeeee little slimy slugs appear over night, if the top soil clean then a mulch will be better than a cover in my not so honest opinion  

[Cabbage Patch]

Yes I think you may be right about the slugs Aidy, I have already got quite a lot of the slimey horrible things, and snails too.

I am going to give the beds a good few inches of manure and leave for the winter.

Can you use rabbit poo? Don't laugh at my suggestion I am a beginner.

I have an endless supply of that from Giant Flemish rabbits. Mmmm wonder if that would work?

Thanks
Cabbage Patch.

[veggieman]

If the rabbit poo is fairly old then you could use it but you would need a multitude of rabbits to produce enough for the plot.

Aprt from putting muck down ahead of the winter months (in my case from Shetland ponies), I also spread loads of seaweed across the plot but I doubt if there is too much of that lying around Bolton.